Propulsion unit for watercraft



y 1965 F. w. PLEUGER 3,185,122

PROPULSION UNIT FOR WATERCRAFT Filed March 25, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet l/NVEN70Q; F W. P/eu er ATTORNESS May 25, 1965 F. w. PLEUGER 3,135,122

PROPULSION UNIT FOR WATERCRAFT Filed March 25, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2F/G-E ATTOVKNEHS May 25, 1965 F. w. PLEUGER PROPULSION UNIT FORWATERCRAFT 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 25, 1964 Wyn/704 F M Plea/garATTOF NESS May 25, 1965 F. w. PLEUGER PROPULSION UNIT FOR WATERCRAFT 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 25, 1964 ATTOR-MEBS United States PatentPRQPUESIGN UNET FUR WATERRAFT Friedrich Wilhelm Pleuger, .luthornstrasse8d,

Hamhurg-Wandshek, Germany Filed Mar. 25, 19%, Ser. No. 354,524 Claimspriority, application Germany, Mar. 3%, 1963, 1? 31,486 illaims. (Cl.114-151) The present invention relates to a propulsion unit forwatercraft, and more particularly'to a propulsion unit placed in ahorizontal transverse passage of a vessel and acting as a so-calledbow-jet rudder.

It is an object of the invention to provide a roomsaving drive of thepropulsion unit with high efliciency in power transmission and withnearly noiseless operation which at the same time allows for goodhydraulic flow conditions around the propulsion unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drive of the propulsionunit which ensures eifective power transmission, including very bigpower, by employing an endless chain connecting the propulsion unit to adriving motor in the interior of the ship. Said endless chain runsthrough hollow supporting elements of the propulsion unit.

According to an important feature of the invention, the supportingelements for the propulsion unit comprise two hollow struts, which slopewith respect to the radial plane of the unit, extend in moving directionof the driving chain, and are arranged tangentially to a chain wheel ofthe propeller shaft. The driving chain runs over a plurality ofdeflecting pulleys which are located in front of the apertures of thehollow struts in the interior of the ship. They ensure proper gearing ofthe driving chain with the chain wheels of both propeller shaft anddriving motor and guarantee a power transmission which is highlyefficient and at the same time low in noise.

Further objects and features of the invention are related to theconstruction and mounting of the propeller shaft.

Still another object is the employment of an additional chain extendingparallel with the driving chain and being linked with a device forvariation of the inclination of the propeller blades in order to extendthe use of the construction according to the invention to propulsionunits of variable propeller blades.

These and other objects and characteristics of the invention will becomeapparent from the following description of two illustrative embodimentsof the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial longitudinal section and side View respectively of adriving device for the propeller of a bow-jet rudder,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line HII of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section and partial side View respectively ofanother embodiment of the invention, which is applicable with bow-jetrudders of variable propellers,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IVIV of FIG. 2.

With reference to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, in whichlike numerals are used to indicate like parts, a cylindrical passage 1,transverse in the body of the ship, houses a casing 2 of streamlineshape which is in a centric position mounted on two hollow struts 3.Within casing 2, a propeller shaft 4 is supported in two journalbearings 5 of an elastic type. In some cases, the bearings 5 may havesleeves of rigid material. Propeller shaft 4 carries a propeller 6, the

,hub 7 of which is streamlined in shape and, where it is 3,l35,l22?atented May 25, 1965 Ice adjacent casing 2, is of same diameter as saidcasing 2, whereas towards its other end the diameter of hub 7 isdiminished. Propeller shaft 4 is protected against displacement by meansof a disc 8, which is guided in two thrust bearings 9. A sprocket wheel10, gearing with a roller chain 11, is fastened to shaft 4 between thedisc 3 and the journal bearing 5 at the far end of propeller d. Rollerchain 11 runs through the hollow struts 3 over two deflecting pulleys 12which are located in the interior of the ship outside passageway 1, andover a chain pinion 13 which is mounted on the shaft of an electricdriving motor 14. The deflecting pulleys 12 are supported in sleevebearings 15, and they are at the same time used 'as tensioning rollersfor chain 11.

The chain pinion 13, being operated by motor 14, sets chain 11 intorotating motion, in which the two deflecting pulleys 12 make it runthrough the hollow struts 3 to be guided towards or away from thesprocket wheel Ed on propeller shaft 4. By gearing with sprocket wheel1t), chain 11 drives propeller 6. With the two struts 3 extending indirection of motion of chain 11, no further guiding elements, apart fromthe deflecting pulleys 12, need be provided for chain 11 to approach thesprocket wheel 1%) at the correct angle of mesh. As another advantage,the two hollow struts 3 ensure protection of chain 11 and casing 2 withits bearings 5, 9 and or" sprocket wheel 19 against water intrusion.

The two struts 3 may include a smaller angle than shown in FIG. 1 sothat one of the two deflecting pulleys 12 may be constructed as adriving gear for chain 11, whereby chain pinion 13 can be dispensedwith. This represents a further essential simplification of the drivingdevice.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4, these show an embodiment of the driveof a propulsion unit with a variable pitch propeller.

The streamlined casing 22 in transverse passage 1, like casing 2 of theafore-described embodiment, is centrically mounted on two hollow struts3. Propeller shaft 21, which is also hollow, is supported in the casing22 by means of two journal bearings 25. Hollow propeller shaft 21 isenclosed in a sleeve 23, which at one end carries the disc 8 between itstwo thrust bearings 9 and at its other, coniform end is in rigidconnection with the sprocket wheel it). Said sprocket wheel 10 gearswith the roller chain 11, which in the same manner as in FIGURES 1 and 2runs through the hollow struts 3 and over the two deflecting pulleys 12and chain pinion 13 on the shaft of driving motor 14.

The hollow propeller shaft 21 is coupled with the bellshaped hub 7 ofthe propeller 26 the blades of which are variable in their angle ofincidence. Fitted to the pivot of each propeller blade is a bevel wheel27 which meshes with a bevel wheel 28. The bevel wheels 27, 28 areenclosed by the hollow hub '7 of the propeller. Bevel wheel 23 issecured to the end of a control shaft 29 which shaft extends inside thehollow propeller shaft 21 and at its other end carries a chain wheel 30and is mounted in casing 22 by means of a journal bearing 32. Chainwheel 30 gears with an auxiliary roller chain 31 which is driven by anauxiliary chain pinion 33 arranged adjacent chain pinion 13 on the shaftof driving motor 14. The auxiliary roller chain 31 runs over a pair ofdeflecting pulleys 34 adjacent the deflecting pulleys 12 of chain 11,and another pair of deflecting pulleys 35 which are supported by an arm36. Said arm 36 is pivotally mounted on the shaft of motor 14 and may beswung to either side by means of a threaded spindle 37.

When the angle of incidence of the propeller blades 26 is to be varied,the threaded spindle 37 is operated to shift arm 36, which initially hasits central position shown in FIG. 4, to one or the other side so thatthe auxiliary deflecting pulleys 35 are shifted accordingly whilestaying at equal axial distance from each other. In this displacedposition which is illustrated in FIG. 4 by broken lines, the portion ofauxiliary chain 31 running from the left pulley 35 towards the chainpinion 33 is shortened inasmuch as the portion of auxiliary chain 31running from the right-side pulley 35 to the chain pinion 33 islengthened or vice versa. The direction of change is controlled by thedirection of rotation of threaded spindle 37 in cooperation with arm 36.

The displacement of the auxiliary roller chain 31 causes the auxiliarysprocket wheel 30 to change the position of control shaft 29 incomparison to propeller shaft 21, which, change in turn, is by bevelgear 27, 28 inside the propeller hub 7 transmitted to the blades ofpropeller 26. This enables starting the propulsion unit from itsinoperative stopped position to adjust the angle of incidence of thepropeller blades as required for forward or rearward motionof thevessel. Therefore direction and power of the propeller forces areregulated without changing the number and direction of revolutions ofthe driving motor in accordance with the required position of thepropeller blades.

It is to be understood that the present invention is in no way limitedto the particular constructions disclosed in the drawings but alsocomprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A driving device for propulsion unit arranged in a horizontaltransverse passage of a vessel, comprising a driving motor, installed inthe interior of the vessel, an endless chain for coupling said drivingmotor with said propulsion unit, hollow struts supporting saidpropulsion unit along the central axis of said transverse passage, saidchain running through said hollow struts, deflecting pulleys within thevessel, movable in front of the apertures of said hollow struts, saidstruts extending tangentially to said propulsion unit in direction ofmotion of said chain, means varying the angle of incidence of thepropeller blades, and an additional chain, arranged 4 parallel to saidfirst chain inside hollow struts and coupled with said variation means,and deflecting pulleys within the vessel in front of the apertures ofsaid hollow struts, said two chains running over said deflectingpulleys.

Q. The device of claim 1 wherein the additional chain controlling themeans by which the angle of incidence of the propeller blades is varied,is guided by separate deflecting pulleys which are mounted on aswingable element.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said additional chain, controlling themeans by which the angle of incidence of the propeller'iblades isvaried, is guided by two additional deflecting pulleys which aresymmetrical in respect of the central axis of a swingable element.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the additional chain controlling themeans by which the angle of incidence of the propeller blades is variedruns over additional deflecting pulleys, which are symmetrical inrespect of the vertical plane of the swinging axis of a swingable arm,which arm in order to vary the angle of incidence of the propellerblades is by means of a steering element swung from its central positionto one or the opposite side.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the additional chain controlling themeans by which the angle of incidence of the propeller blades is variedruns over additional deflecting pulleys being mounted on a swingablearm, which is pivotally mounted on the shaft of the driving motor.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,7 04,991 3 5 5Danielson 34 2,809,605 10/57 Russell 11534 XR 3,002,486 10/61 Jardmo114143 FOREIGN PATENTS 211,951 2/24 Great Britain.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

1. A DRIVING DEVICE FOR PROPULSIONUNIT ARRANGED IN A HORIZONTAL TRANSVERSE PASSAGE OF A VESSEL, COMPRISING A DRIVING MOTOR, INSTALLED IN THE INTERIOR OF THE VESSEL, AN ENDLESS CHAIN FOR COUPLING SAID DRIVING MOTOR WITH SAID PROPULSION UNIT, HOLLOW STRUTS SUPPORTING SAID PROPULSION UNIT ALONG THE CENTRAL AXIS OF SAID TRANSVERSE PASSAGE, SAID CHAIN RUNNING THROUGH SAID HOLLOW STRUTS, DEFLECTING PULLEYS WITHIN THE VESSEL, MOVABLE IN FRONT OF THE APERTURES OF SAID HOLLOW STRUTS, SAID STRUTS EXTENDING TANGENTIALLY TO SAID PROPULSION UNIT IN DIRECTION OF MOTION 